LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT ONE SOLDIER'S RETURN FLIGHT TO IRAQ HE SAW A MAN GO INTO THE BATHROOM AT THE PITTSBURGH AIRPORT & THOUGHT HE RECOGNIZED HIM. WHEN THE MAN CAME OUT HE WENT OVER TO HIM & SAID 'EXCUSE ME SIR BUT ARE YOU FRANCO HARRIS?'

THE MAN REPLIED 'YES I AM' & THEN BEING SUCH A BIG STEELER FAN THAT HE IS ASKED HIM IF HE COULD HAVE A PIC OF HIM. FRANCO WAS AGREEABLE TO THIS. AFTER TAKING THE PIC THEY TALKED FOR A FEW MINUTES & HE TOLD HIM HE WAS ON HIS WAY BACK TO IRAQ . FRANCO ACKNOWLEDGED HIS SADNESS & GAVE HIM ENCOURAGEMENT & SAFE RETURN. THEY THEN SHOOK HANDS & PARTED ON THEIR WAYS... THE END OF THE STORY YOU WOULD THINK, BUT NOT SO....

YOU SEE AFTER AWHILE THE SOLDIER'S NAME WAS ANNOUNCED OVER THE LOUD SPEAKER TO COME TO THE DESK...WHICH HE DID... ONCE THERE THE LADY BEHIND THE COUNTER INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WAS AN EMPTY SEAT IN FIRST CLASS & SHE WAS GOING TO BUMP HIM UP TO THAT SEAT IF IT WAS OK WITH HIM. HE SAID HE DIDN'T CARE WHERE HE SAT IN THE PLANE AS LONG AS HE MADE IT TO ATLANTA TO CATCH THE ARMY PLANE. SO SHE INFORMED HIM THAT HE WAS NOW GOING FIRST CLASS TO ATLANTA . HE THANKED HER & WENT BACK TO TELL EVERYONE AS HE WAITED TO BOARD THE PLANE.

ONCE HE WAS SEATED ON THE PLANE HE WAS WAVING OUT THE WINDOW TO HIS DAD & PAP AS HE FELT A HAND ON HIS LEG. HE TURNED TO HIS SIDE & THERE WAS FRANCO SITTING IN THE SEAT NEXT TO HIM!!! NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY TALKED ALL THE WAY TO ATLANTA ABOUT THE STEELERS & THEN PARTED WITH FRANCO TAKING HIS ADDRESS & GIVING HIS SIGNED TICKET STUB TO THE SOLDIER AS VALIDATION OF THEIR TRIP TOGETHER. THIS WAS A TRIP NOT OF SADNESS & LONELINESS BUT ONE THIS SOLDIER WILL NEVER FORGET & WILL TALK ABOUT FOREVER THANKS TO FRANCO HARRIS. THIS ACT OF KINDNESS & GENEROSITY FROM THIS MAN IS ONE THAT WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS. IN MY OPINION, FRANCO HARRIS IS 'THE MAN OF ALL MEN'!! I WISH I COULD THANK HIM FOR MAKING A SOLDIER'S LONELY FLIGHT BACK TO WAR ONE OF HIS ULTIMATE LIFETIME EXPERIENCES THAT HE WILL TALK ABOUT FOREVER.

there was a similar story with cris carter a few weeks back. i cant remember if he talked about it on the radio or if peter king wrote about it.

anyways him and his brother were on a plane in 1st class, and a group of soldiers boarded and went back to coach. a gentleman in 1st class called the stewrdess and said he wanted to give up his seat to a soldier. carter looked at his brother and told him they were gonna do the same. one by one all the 1st class passengers had surendered their seat to those in uniform.

When I met Franco this past December he was classy from the start to finish of our short conversation. To hear this makes me realize that Franco is more than just a star RB of the Steelers long ago but he is a Man amongst boys when it comes to his fandom and his recognition of those in this world who give more!